The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-19
A Remarkable Conspiracy Case.

The trial of Hiram B. Everest and his
son Charles, at Buffalo, n. Y, for con-
spiracy, attracted great deal of attention
A verdict of guilty was returned day or
two ago, but the case is not yet disposed Of
The defendants have given bail for their
appearance when wanted, and in the mean
time their case will go to the Court of APP
peals If a new trial is not granted them
The interest in the trial arose mainly
from the belief that the defend
ants represented the Standard
Oil Company, and acted in all things in har-
mony with its policy. Nobody appears to
have doubt as to what that policy is. If
the general impression is correct it is to
wholly monopolize the oil refining business.
The statement has been made frequently
that it has ruined many of its small COM
petitors in its efforts to get the business into
its own hands. Three of the Standard oil
men were indicted with the Everests, but
they were discharged before the trial was
ended on the ground that there was not suffi-
Gent evidence against them to justify the
court in holding them.
The story of the alleged conspiracy is an
interesting one. The Everests owned the
Vacuum Oil Works at Rochester, and sold
three-fourths interest in them to the
Standard Oil Company. Three of their
employees started at Buffalo what was called
the Lubricating Oil Refinery One of these
employees was Albert A. Miller. Ac-
cording to the evidence given at the
the trial the Everests tried to induce the
three men to abandon their enterprise by
threatening them with ruin. They were
told that the entire SIS, 900, 900 of the Stand
ard Oil Company would be used to break
down their business. The threat made no
impression upon them. The Everests then
approached Miller, who had the manage
ment of the new refinery, and offered him a
large bride to destroy it. 1t seems that this
offer was accepted. The first time an at
tempt to use the refinery was made there
was terrific explosion and the refinery was
destroyed.
Miller was kept out of the way. He
finally became tired of wandering about
and went back TO New York and told one of
his partners the entire story of the destruc-
ton of the refinery. OF course, indictments
followed, and the Everests were convicted.
If no mistake has been made the Everests
ought to go to States prison for very long
term
1t is probably true that no member of the
Standard Oil Company had anything di-
rectly to do with the conspiracy to destroy
the Buffalo Refinery The fact, however,
that there are many oil reiners in differ
ent parts Of the country, who claim that
they were ruined by the Standard, gives
color to the suspicion that the Buffalo Re
finery was destroyed in pursuance of the
wishes of the Standard.
Huge monopolies are dangerous. 1t is
hardly possible for them at all times to be
controlled by honest men, and when in the
hands of bad men they are liable to be used for
bad purposes. Their power is so great that
they have no difficulty in becoming still
more powerful by destroying all opposition
to their plans. Even if the Standard is
wholly guiltless of any participation in the
Buffalo affair it might be wise to keep it
under surveillance.